Pensacola Real Estate Professionals’ Checklist to Plot a Path to Thanksgiving and the Winter Holidays
November 13th, 2013 Categories: Holiday Home Tips, Home Decor, Pensacola Real Estate News
With all you have to do before the holidays arrive, it’s easy to leave things until the last minute. But why not get an early start on your holiday list this year. With a little planning and only an hour or two each week, your holiday can come off without a hitch.
1. Holiday Cards
Put on holiday music, light a scented seasonal candle, light the fireplace and settle in the same time every week to work on your cards. Assess how many you need by making a list of names and addresses of friends and family, business associates and people you need to add on your kids’ behalf – like teachers, troop leaders and coaches. If you’re sending photo cards, start sorting through photos to find the one you want to share.
2. Travel Plans
If you’re traveling this holiday season, research hotels, flights and rental cars on booking, bid or auction sites and look into package deals. if you’re flying, travel early or late in the day. If you’re driving, make an appointment to have your car tuned. Put together an emergency kit for your car, too. It can be a lifesaver!
3. Plan Your Holiday Meals
Are you having a holiday open house? Hosting a dinner? Start pouring over your cookbooks to plan your menus – and don’t forget to hit websites for great recipes. A site like Recipe Quantity Calculator can help you figure out the new measurements you need when doubling or tripling recipes.
4. Food Shopping
You can shop early for canned goods, dry goods and frozen foods. Make sure to clear some room in your cabinets, pantry and freezer first. Double-check to make sure you have baking and cooking basics like baking powder and baking soda, salt and pepper, vanilla, sugar, flour, chicken stock, olive oil and vinegar.
5. Holiday Cookies
If your holiday planning includes gifting baked goods, Ziploc Brand Containers are ideal for packaging them. They are great for freezing cookie dough until it’s ready for baking and for bringing home cookies from a swap and keeping them fresh. 
They’re also inexpensive enough to fill and give away as gifts. Another great gift idea is to package the dry ingredients of your favorite cookie in a new Ziploc VersaGlass Container along with cooking instructions – your friends will love the cookies and the tempered glass container.
6. Polish the Silver
If you store it correctly, you can polish your silver now, and it will be tarnish-free when it’s time to set the table. Apply a good liquid cream or paste polish with a 100 percent cotton cloth, and follow your previous polishing pattern. (It’s usually circular or lengthwise.) Rinse under warm water and dry with another soft cotton cloth. (Air drying can leave corroding water droplets.) Wrap silver in tarnish-inhibiting flannel bags, and store it away from heat and light.
7. Wash and Iron Table Linens
Unfold your holiday linens and examine them thoroughly. Apply a stain removing product on any stains and then launder. Remove linens from the dryer while they’re still damp (this makes ironing much easier). Keep them wrinkle-free until it’s time to set the table by folding them once, gently, and rolling them onto a cardboard wrapping-paper tube or by hanging them over a padded hanger.
8. Gift Wrap Supplies
Check to see what you have left over from last year so you can build on your current supplies. Cut small samples of each paper and attach them to the top of a shopping list to make it easier to pick matching ribbons and bows.
9. Guest Room
If you’re putting up friends and family this holiday season, make them feel welcome. Since guest rooms tend to accumulate clutter, make a list of what’s been stored in there that needs to find a proper home. Stock up on cleaning supplies to use once your guest room has been cleared. Multi-surface and extended-time cleaning products are great to have on hand.
7 Day Thanksgiving Checklist:
7 days before the Thanksgiving festivities begin, break out this checklist to make sure you’re set up for success!
The Week Before:
Clean out your refrigerator: Make room for Thanksgiving food with a quick cleaning.
Wash and iron tablecloths: Adorn your dining room table with freshly washed linens. Use laundry beads and dryer sheets for a fresh scent that lasts.
Organize serving platters: Label them with names of the dishes to be served on them.
2 Days Before:
Thaw pre-made dishes: Transfer quick breads and pies from the freezer to the refrigerator.
Clean your home: Start with rooms guests will see before moving upstairs.
Check the small details: Make sure you don’t miss the big game or parade by making sure your remotes have fresh batteries.
The Day Before:
Assemble side dishes: Make stuffing and casseroles, then cover and refrigerate until baking tomorrow.
Set the Table: Welcome in the holiday season by setting out holiday decorations.
On Thanksgiving:
Prepare the Meal: Cook the turkey, whip cream for pies and warm the side dishes.
Sit back and enjoy a memorable meal: Enjoy time with the ones you love.
From all of us at Pensacola Real Estate Professionals, to all of you, We Wish you A Very Happy Thanksgiving and a Joyous Holiday Season!